Amparo Bertram

08:20 pm: Playing with food
There was one idea that I ran across in a vegetarian cookbook right before I came that I've been wanting to try...a goat cheese and pear sandwich. I don't know why, but the idea of putting sliced fresh fruit on a sandwich just struck me as fascinating...I don't think anything of fruit jam, but it would never occur to me to use fresh fruit the same way. So I picked up some goat cheese at the import store last weekend, and today I tried out the sandwich idea, adding a few of the pecans from my aunt that megory sent me. It turned out pretty good.

For lunch I tried another experimental food item from the import store: Thai mango ketchup. That was also pretty good, with an interesting blend of sweet and just a touch of spicy.

During one of my classes today, a question about dyeing hair came up, and I mentioned that I've dyed my hair red, black, and purple. They were all shocked at the purple. My team teacher chimed in that it's not against the rules for teachers to dye their hair, so the students concluded that I should dye my hair purple for the school festival. <g>

Last year, I mentioned the earthquake drill, for which the local fire department brings their earthquake simulation truck. This time I managed to get a good picture of it.

Note the cushions on the table...these are the kinds of cushions that many people put on chairs. The students are supposed to practice grabbing the cushions and holding them over their heads for protection from falling objects. (I cracked up watching some of the students crouch down on the floor and cover their faces with the cushions. Not helping much to protect from falling objects there, though perhaps it would prevent them from smashing their noses against the floor.)

Also note the slippers lined up at the base of the ladders for the students to put on when entering the truck. We can't be having people wear their "outdoor" shoes "inside"...

Part of the kitchen mock-up includes having a tea kettle heating on the stove. The students are supposed to practice turning off the stove as soon as the quake dies down. The funny part is that, even when they moved the kitchen table out and had the students lie on the floor to pretend that the earthquake is striking while they're asleep at night, they kept the kettle heating on the stove. Yes, folks, let's practice what to do when you leave your tea kettle on a lit stove all night and an earthquake happens to strike. It could happen.

Duck and cover. (Actually, I hadn't heard of the triangle of life thing until just now; I had to look it up.) Personally, I worry more about falling objects than the buildings actually collapsing, so I think I'll stick with duck and cover. If, you know, there was ever an earthquake big enough that I felt like I should do more than sit there and think, "Oh, an earthquake."

Maybe I should just go with the flow...if a quake hits hard enough (God willing, NOT!). Cos history has consistently shown that when an actual emergency occurs, most people throw their training & drills out the window, & imitate headless chickens.

Apparently most experts consider the Triangle of Life concept to be a bit faulty; it's got an "Urban Legend" page up at Snopes and otherpages warning people not to take its advice to heart.

*shrug* I'm still much more likely to need to worry about tornadoes than earthquakes, however, so I don't have to choose which method seems best. But I'd guess from the furor nobody's going to officially adopt ToL anytime soon.

I guess in the end every way has its pros & cons. (When it's your time, you're up.) It's just that, after years of carefree living, I have to learn a new skill which may or may not be needed, & I don't fancy having to put it into practice at all. ^^;